1. Field
The following description relates to an apparatus and method for controlling a force to be used for a motion of a surgical robot based on a user input, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for scaling a motion of the surgical robot based on a type of object gripped by the surgical robot.
2. Description of the Related Art
Haptic feedback technology for generating and transferring an artificial sensation is being developed in order to enable a user to feel a sensation of gripping an object in reality when the user controls an object intuitively in a virtual space, or controls a robot remotely.
A surgical robot may use haptic feedback technology for providing a user with a sensation of touching an object or an organ of a patient, for example a soft tissue, directly, by adjusting a level of a load to be provided to a user by an apparatus for controlling the surgical robot remotely when the surgical robot touches a surgical instrument or the organ of the patient.
However, because the surgical robot may be operated remotely, a time lag may occur between a time when the user touches the object or the organ directly and a time when the user receives a feedback regarding a magnitude of a force exerted by the user although the haptic feedback technology is used.
For example, in a case in which the user performs a surgery directly, the user may relax a grip immediately when the user feels a suture being pulled overly hard such that a breakage of the suture may be prevented. However, in a case in which the user performs the surgery using the surgical robot, the user may feel the suture being pulled overly hard through a feedback after the suture has already broken due to a relatively strong force.
In addition, there may be various types of sutures, and the sutures may be broken at different magnitudes of force depending on the types of sutures. When the user performs the surgery directly, the user may sense a state of a suture with minute fingertip contact. However, when the user uses the surgical robot, feedback of a sensation related to the suture may be difficult.
Accordingly, there is a demand for a method of preventing damage to a surgical instrument or an organ and increasing stability of a surgical robot during a surgery, by controlling a level of a feedback or a motion of the surgical robot based on a type of soft tissue, and a type of instrument, such as a suture, for example.